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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not to let the kids use ‘my’ printer?

44 replies

CredulousThickos · 01/10/2017 14:24

In an attempt to get more organised, I bought a £20 WiFi printer last week. This means I can print emails from school, scouts etc straight away from the iPad, and deal with them. Game changer.

We still have the old printer in the study, there are three laptops in the house that can be easily USB connected, it obviously just involves leaving their rooms to do it.

Both teenagers have moaned and moaned this week that it’s not fair, they should be able to use the WiFi one. I’ve said no because I’ve signed up for the free instant ink plan which is only for 15 pages a month, if they use more we’ll have to upgrade the plan and use more ink. I’ve done this so I never run out (I really am very disorganised. We still have a huge box of cheapo ink for the old printer.

DD in particular does huge colourful pages for her school work. And today she wanted to print some inspirational quotes for her wall.

Am I being a selfish cow (as DD told me this morning)? They’re not allowed on my iPad either, which is another bone of contention, they both have kindles and a laptop each. And iPhones. Apparently I buy all the good stuff for myself and they get nothing. They’re not generally spoilt arseholes but they are behaving like it.

AIBU?

OP posts:
treeofhearts · 01/10/2017 14:28

YANBU in the slightest and if they think that they don't get "anything" then I would show them what not having anything is really like.

AlpacaLypse · 01/10/2017 14:30

Yanbu. And if they keep on whingeing change the wifi code and don't let them have the new one until they've learnt not to be brats.

19lottie82 · 01/10/2017 14:32

God no. And if my DR called me a selfish cow she wouldn't be using the other printer either, or the wifi for at least 3 days!

Bobbins43 · 01/10/2017 14:32

YANBU.

19lottie82 · 01/10/2017 14:32

DR? DD!

TailEndCharlie · 01/10/2017 14:34

Hell to the no! If they want shiny £20 wifi printer and an ink plan they can save up for it and get their own. Welcome to the real world kids!

Original poster
CredulousThickos · 01/10/2017 14:35

Oh I took her phone and laptop off her for the selfish cow comment, that didn’t pass without punishment. But then I wondered if I was actually being a bit of a dick and should let them use it to make their lives easier. But then it s not actually all that difficult to come downstairs and plug their laptops in to the wired printer.

I really should stop overthinking and second guessing myself.

OP posts:
notacooldad · 01/10/2017 14:35

DD called you a selfish cow! What the hell?
No to the printer and her attitude needs kicking into space!

notacooldad · 01/10/2017 14:36

Cross post with you there!

guiltynetter · 01/10/2017 14:37

you aren't being selfish! but it sounds like a good, not exoensive idea for a christmas present for the teenagers (if they improve their attitude that is!)

MagicFajita · 01/10/2017 14:38

Not unreasonable at all! With respect for dc , they do love printing out pages and pages of stuff that simply gets lost. They always "neeeeeeeed" to print something or other.

araiwa · 01/10/2017 14:39

I have a 48" tv with bluray and surround sound set up

I make the kids watch tv on an 11" black and white crt with ring aeriel in the spare room because its my tv that i paid for. If they want a set up like mine they can save up and get one themselves Confused

PurpleCrazyHorse · 01/10/2017 14:39

If my DD called me a selfish cow, the wifi code would be changed (and the logon for the router) until behaviour improves. There would be no printing of anything either.

honeysucklejasmine · 01/10/2017 14:42

Surely they'd get a better quality print from the non WiFi printer? I can't imagine a £20 printer is really up to much more than, as you say, basic letters etc.

YANBU at all.

Original poster
CredulousThickos · 01/10/2017 14:44

Araiwa, that’s not the same at all. This is a specific thing I bought to make responding to the never ending stream of forms and trips easier. Instead of procrastinating and forgetting, I print them as soon as read the email.

They have use of a perfectly fine printer which they can use by getting up and using it with one of their many items of tech. They don’t know they’re born imo.

OP posts:
eyebrowsonfleek · 01/10/2017 14:44

If your teens are anything like mine then they would be able to afford £20 more easily than me. 😂

Definitely not being a cow/dick.

Ellendegeneres · 01/10/2017 14:47

Op can I get a link to what you purchased please? I feel like it's something I need to help me be more organised too.
Yanbu by the way

Shadow666 · 01/10/2017 14:48

Ink is crazily expensive. They can definitely help by using up the ink for the old printer. Or you could charge them per page for the wifi one Wink

allertse · 01/10/2017 14:49

YANBU

Surely they will have to leave their rooms to pick up whatever they have printed on the wifi printer anyway? Thereby negating any advantage they'd get from using it.

If it's that big a deal, suggest they contribute to the extra ink for the wifi one. Then they can decide if its worth spending money on

Starlight2345 · 01/10/2017 14:51

Problem is you aren't allowed anything of your own.

Absolutely you did the right thing.

Entitled is the word that comes to mind.

cdtaylornats · 01/10/2017 14:52

You could invite them to chip in for the upgrade to the ink subscription.

CrochetBelle · 01/10/2017 14:52

Missing the point a little, but what printer did you get for 20 quid?

opheliacat · 01/10/2017 14:55

Also want to know this!

scootinFun · 01/10/2017 15:01

I too am interested in the printer, which you do not need to share.

Tinty · 01/10/2017 15:03

Yep buy them a wifi printer and ink plan for xmas each.
Presents sorted! Grin. They can even have them in their rooms then.